↑

Will Cook For Smiles

The Best of Homecooking

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
Home » Appetizers » Lemon Pistachio Arugula Pesto

Lemon Pistachio Arugula Pesto

Created: June 5, 2014 Updated: January 6, 2023 by lyuba 15 Comments

1.4K shares
Jump to Recipe

This new pesto recipe will change your world! It’s made with pistachios, lemon, arugula, parsley and blended to smooth perfection that goes well with everything!

This Lemon Pistachio Arugula Pesto in a small white square bowl

Have you ever tried something new (food of course) and knew that you were so in love that you had to recreate it immediately?! It happens to me quite often, I try something at a restaurant and I can’t stop thinking about it for days to come. I can’t help but try to figure out the recipe and make it at home, over and over.

This is exactly the feeling I got after trying an amazing new (to me) pesto at a fantastic beach-front restaurant last weekend. Hubs and I had a relaxing weekend at the beach and a wonderful dinner. They served a sampler of spreads with their bread and I fell head-over-hills in love with pistachio arugula pesto. I vowed to make it at home and I did!

Using pistachios in pesto was a genius idea and it was totally worth shelling the nuts for 30 minutes! I also believe that I improved this pesto a little by enhancing the citrus flavor of arugula with an addition of lemon zest and by adding creaminess to this pesto with Parmesan cheese.

Aahhhhh…heaven!

This Lemon Pistachio Arugula Pesto in a small white square bowl

Lemon Pistachio Arugula Pesto

It's made with pistachios, lemon, arugula, parsley and blended to smooth perfection that goes well with everything!
Print SaveSaved! Rate
Course: dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Arugula, lemon, Pesto, Pistachio
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8 (makes about 2 1/2 cup)s
Calories: 275kcal
Author: lyuba

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pistachios unsalted
  • 2 cups arugula packed
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley
  • Zest from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2/3 cup olive or avocado oil more if you like your pesto thinner
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine your dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
  • Add oil and lemon juice and blend until completely mixed and smooth.
  • Taste to see if you need more salt. Add more oil if desirable.
  • Keep refrigerated, in an air-tight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 547IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

bread that has been dipped into pesto and the Lemon Pistachio Arugula Pesto in a small white square bowl

More Sauce Recipes From Me!

 Classic Alfredo Sauce

Homemade Fresh Marinara Sauce

Hollandaise Sauce

Fresh Homemade Pesto

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

1.4K shares

Filed Under: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Side Dishes, Toppings and Spreads Tagged With: pesto, pistachio, sauce

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Baby June says

    June 5, 2014 at 1:47 pm

    What a great idea! I love all the flavors in here–lemon + pistachio is one of my favorite combos! Will have to try this sometime this summer. 🙂

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      June 16, 2014 at 9:03 pm

      Thank you so much, June!

      Reply
  2. Matt Robinson says

    June 5, 2014 at 2:45 pm

    This really is a genius idea, I can only imagine how good this tastes. So easy to make too, happening here for sure soon!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      June 16, 2014 at 9:04 pm

      Aww, thank you, Matt! Hope you like it!

      Reply
  3. marcie says

    June 5, 2014 at 9:35 pm

    I love the combination of this pesto — it sounds so light and refreshing! I’m going to have to try this. 🙂

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      June 16, 2014 at 9:05 pm

      I hope you do, Marcie! Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Elizabeth @ Confessions of a Baking Queen says

    June 5, 2014 at 10:24 pm

    Any kind of pesto is good in my book!!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      June 16, 2014 at 9:08 pm

      Thank you, Elizabeth!!

      Reply
  5. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says

    June 6, 2014 at 7:20 am

    Can’t wait to try it!! Every time I go into a restaurant I always look for something different. I love trying new recipes and new ways of preparing things. I love using grape oil — very neutral when you use it and it makes the other ingredients shine through.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      June 16, 2014 at 9:09 pm

      Grapeseed oil is my favorite! Thank you, Marisa!!

      Reply
  6. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says

    June 6, 2014 at 11:50 pm

    I’m impressed you shelled all those pistachios. Granted I have definitely done that before because it’s so much cheaper to buy them in their shells. As for the pesto, I love experimenting with new versions. Sounds like yours was a success!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      June 16, 2014 at 9:10 pm

      Haha, yes, much cheaper and I didn’t see any shelled ones!
      Thank you so much, Erin!

      Reply
  7. Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says

    June 8, 2014 at 5:08 pm

    I do the same thing when I eat something delicious. I can’t stop thinking about it for days until I can come up with my own version. It’s really great when you can improve on it! This looks as good as you described it, and your pics are just beautiful, as usual. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      June 16, 2014 at 9:11 pm

      Thank you so much, Heather! It sure was great!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Soup Recipes

spooning some beef soup from a bowl

Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

closeup of Italian wedding soup topped with shaved Parmesan

Italian Wedding Soup

closeup image of crab soup in a bowl centered in a photo

She Crab Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Chicken Meatball Soup

closeup of top view of Cioppino in a bowl

Cioppino – Seafood Stew

A bowl of white bean soup is presented with a spoon on a countertop.

White Bean Soup

vegetable broth in two canning jars next to fresh carrots, garlic, and celery

Vegetable Stock

Our Popular Recipes

top view of chicken piccata in sauce on a plate

Chicken Piccata

The Best Chili Recipe

How To Cook Beef Brisket In The Oven

view from the top of the martini glass with light pink cocktail in it and a lime zest floating in the cocktail

The Perfect Cosmopolitan Cocktail

top view of drunken noodles in a bowl with veggies around

Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'Mores Cheesecake Recipe

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="32674" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
The Best Classic Tiramisu

The Best Classic Tiramisu

January 14, 2023
Tiramisu...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

December 2, 2022
This...
Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

August 11, 2022
Chicken...
Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew

August 10, 2022
Pad...
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

July 15, 2022
These...
Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

July 1, 2022
Baba...
Painkiller

Painkiller

June 30, 2022
A...
Truffle Fries

Truffle Fries

June 28, 2022
Truffle...
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

June 21, 2022
Thai...
Strawberry Daiquiri

Strawberry Daiquiri

June 16, 2022
The...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Will Cook For Smiles. Design by Pixel Me Designs